


Passing Notes in Class

by Ramix



Category: Code Vein (Video Game)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bittersweet Ending, Bonding Over Dead Wives, F/M, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Major plot spoilers for Code Vein, Multi, Other, POV Second Person, Romance, Speaking with ghosts, Tragedy, Vampires, gender-neutral protagonist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:23:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26333317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ramix/pseuds/Ramix
Summary: In that moment, something clicks for you, and you finally understand the truth of what happened to Cruz. When her BOR Parasite frenzied, the girl that Louis knew was killed. From that moment on, the creature called The Queen had worn her corpse around like a shell, and used it to wreak havoc on humanity. When you stuck your claw through the chest of that corpse, and drained it of blood, Cruz was already long dead. She’s been trapped within this empty space between life and death ever since.But now, looking into her eyes, you can see that something has changed. At the mention of Louis’s name, that girl that died so long ago, has come back to life.As Carrier of the Blood, you carry messages between your best friend, and a dead girl.
Relationships: Io/Protagonist (Code Vein), Louis & Protagonist (Code Vein), Louis/Cruz Silva
Comments: 8
Kudos: 29





	Passing Notes in Class

**Author's Note:**

> Well this certainly took a while. Started writing this 5 months ago, and since I'm super slow it took forever. Still, I've recently gotten into the habit of writing a lot more often, and I'm pretty happy with how this came out. Here's hoping I can keep it going.
> 
> So! This story was born from three things:
> 
> 1) My undying love for Louis/Cruz based on just One (1) incredible Memory Echo sequence  
> 2)The severe lack of Louis/Cruz content, and just lack of Cruz content in general  
> 3)The story implications of Cruz speaking to you in the tutorial and creating the Attendants after the Queen's death, along with the thought of "Hey it's cool that you can go into that tutorial area and replay it whenever you want. What if that had a story attached to it?" 
> 
> And so this fic was born. I've absolutely fallen in love with this game, its mechanics, its characters, its lore, its storyline, all of it, and am one playthrough away from Platinum Trophy. Might write a companion piece for this based around Protag/Io at some point, but no promises. Anyway, I hope you enjoy, and tell me what you think!

You aren't sure what this place is. It feels alien and strange...yet familiar, somehow. You seem to recall being here before—back when you first woke up— but the memories are foggy. The only thing you can remember clearly is a strange girl speaking to you, and instructing you to _‘save the world.’_

Coincidentally, that same girl is here again now, staring out at the empty white void that surrounds this strange platform you find yourself on. She seems to notice you, as she turns to look at you with her piercing red eyes.

"Oh, you're here again," she says, with the sort of mild surprise you might expect of someone who found an unfamiliar bird perched on their window sill.

“Where am I?” you ask, as that seems to be the most pressing question at the moment.

The dark-skinned girl turns around, her long white hair flowing behind her as she resumes staring out into the void. "I'm not sure. I believe that this place is… in-between life and death, somehow… but besides that, I can't say for certain."

You look at your hands in confusion. _Life and death?_ “Then...am I dead?”

She giggles, a strange, melancholy sound. “I sure hope not. You still have your mission, don’t you?”

“My...mission?” You search your mind for a second, and it’s like trying to navigate through a fog. "Ah… right. I need to ' _save the world'_ , right?"

She turns to you with a smile. "Ah, so you still remember, that's good."

“Are you going to explain what exactly I’m supposed to do? Or why I can’t remember anything?” you ask, more than a little irritated with this strange girl.

"So you still haven't regained your memory, I see. How unfortunate."

"I don't suppose you plan on filling in the blanks?"

She gives a wry smile as she turns away. "It's probably best that I don't, I wouldn't want to overwhelm you. Besides, it seems like your time here is running short."

"Huh? What are you—" As you start to speak, you feel a sensation akin to death, and you see your body begin to disperse, like when you used the mistle to travel. As your consciousness fades away, you hear one last message.

" _Good luck."_

* * *

" _Hey, can you hear me? It's time to wake up."_

A voice stirs you from your sleep, and you groggily raise your head from the pillow, blinking the mist away from your vision.

"How are you feeling?" asks the young man in front of you.

Louis, the young revenant who had given you and your companion shelter, stands in front of the bed, waiting politely for you to get up.

"I'm feeling fine, thanks," you answer, stretching and rubbing your eyes to shake off the clinging remnants of sleep. “Sorry, did I oversleep?”  
  
Louis shakes his head. “Not at all, you need your rest for what comes next. How's your memory, anything new?"

You think for a moment. You consider telling him about the strange dream you just had, but you decide that for the time being you should try to avoid sounding like a crazy person.

"No, nothing." You shake your head.

Louis hums thoughtfully. If he suspects anything, he doesn't show it. "Sounds like you must've had a pretty rough dispersal if you've lost so much. Well, we can look into that later, for now, get your gear ready and meet me at the door, it's time to head out." He stands up and smiles at you before leaving the room, and you follow soon after.

"Well… time to save the world, I guess," you mutter under your breath.

* * *

The next time you fall asleep only to find yourself within that strange space, you decide it's no longer just a coincidence or a hallucination, nor a strange dream. Whatever this is, it's real, and you're somehow being transported here in your sleep.

Along with the Queen.

You find yourself staring nervously at the girl who caused untold death and destruction, the one you saw turn into a monster within the fragments of Louis's memories. You know now that she was once a human, and then a revenant, just like you, before she succumbed to Frenzy… but who is it standing before you now? The girl that you saw speak and joke and laugh with Louis within his memories… or the monster she became?

You take a nervous step forward, she turns to face you with a curious look.

"You… you're the Queen?" you ask. Or maybe it's more of an accusation.

She doesn't seem to take it well. Her eyes narrow at you and she scoffs, before turning away from you.

"Yes, I am," she says, sardonically. "I'm the monster that all revenants check for under their beds at night, the cause of all your misery."

You gulp nervously, you're not sure how wise it would be to make her mad, but you're also stuck here for the foreseeable future, so you decide to try and defuse the situation.

"But… why?"

"Why _what_?" she asks, terse.

"Why did you do it? What was the point? And if you're the monster that destroyed the world… then why are you sending me to save it?"

"Does it matter?" she asks wryly, a hint of melancholy in her voice. "You have your mission, so go attend to it. The door is right there."

As she says this, a mistle appears behind you, springing to life. Part of you wants to press on and try to ask more of her, but if she's telling you to leave, you're not sure you want to know what she'll do if you refuse. You approach the mistle, putting your hand to it, and you feel yourself start to disperse again.

* * *

You wake up in the middle of the night, shooting awake. It seems that the mistle really did serve as an exit from that dream. However, you are now left with an unfortunate conundrum:

It's the middle of the night, you've only slept for a few hours, and you're not too keen on finding out what will happen to you if you go back to sleep.

You're lucky that revenants don't _need_ sleep to function, but that still leaves you with nothing to do for the next several hours. So, you decide to get out of bed and take a walk through Home Base to see if there's anything to occupy your time.

As you step out from the back hallways and into the main area, you catch a glimpse of the night sky out on the balcony. You consider stargazing as an option for a moment, before your gaze is drawn to your companion, Io. She’s sleeping soundly in the dark, the candles surrounding her bed have been blown out, and now she lies peacefully atop her bed beneath the sheets. You resist the urge to go check up on her, reasoning that she probably needs her sleep. Fortunately for you, a distraction appears in the form of Louis, sitting at the bar, with a single lamp lighting it.

From what you know of him, and the complaints you’ve heard from Yakumo, you can tell that Louis isn’t typically one to drink, yet now he's slumped over the bar, nursing a drink and staring intensely at nothing. You take a seat next to him, but don't speak up, letting him sit in silence for a bit longer.

Eventually, he acknowledges your presence with a sigh. “Couldn’t sleep either?” he asks.

You nod. “Yeah. Bad dreams…”

You elect not to go into any more detail.

“You don’t seem like the type to drink,” you bring up, trying to change the subject.  
  
Louis chuckles. “That’s because I’m not. I hate the taste, and though all research suggests revenants should be immune to hangovers, I always seem to wake up with one when I drink… still, I figure if people always talk about drowning their sorrows then there must be _some_ truth to it."

“Is it working?”  
  
“No.”  
  
You laugh a bit under your breath. “Sorry to hear that. Is...this about what we saw in the vestige today?”

He nods. “Yeah. I… I hadn’t lost that memory, not entirely. I still felt that guilt, I knew that I had failed somehow, and I knew that it involved Cruz...but it was like the feelings had faded… like the wounds had healed. But now…” Louis brings a hand to his heart, and clenches it into a fist.  
  
You frown, feeling a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry for making you relive that…”

He shakes his head, and puts down the drink, pushing it aside. “No. I’m grateful to you, really.” He still doesn’t raise his head to look at you.

You raise an eyebrow. “Grateful? Seriously?”  
  
He smiles, looking up at you now. “Yes, seriously. Those memories were… _are_ dear to me. They’re part of the reason why I fight, and even if it hurts to remember them… my memories of that time—my memories of _her_ — are precious to me. So thank you, for giving that back to me.”  
  
You smile at this, looking away a bit awkwardly. “Well, you’re welcome, I guess. That’s what friends are for, right?”  
  
He hesitates a bit before answering. "Yeah… friends. You're right."

* * *

The next time you dream is after your visit to the Cathedral of the Sacred Blood, and suddenly, everything you knew, or thought you knew, is different. You’ve regained your memory, and you now understand what your purpose, your _mission_ , truly is. More importantly, you now understand just who it is you’ve been speaking with, and _why_ you were chosen as the world's savior.

You step forward, gazing intently at the back of the girl whom you killed, calling out to her. “Cruz.”

She whirls around to look at you with surprise written clearly on her face, and you idly wonder how long it’s been since she's heard her own name.

"I… I remember now. Who I was, and what my mission is," you tell her, somewhat hesitantly.

Cruz takes a slow, uncertain step forward. "Then… you remember…?"

You nod. "Yes. I killed you, and you spoke to me. You asked me to… ' _save everyone_ '."

She lets out a sigh of relief, and you can almost _feel_ the weight off her shoulders, before she looks at you with a hopeful smile.

"Then that response I felt from the Relic of the Ribcage, that was…?"

You nod. "Yeah. We found Aurora, and I was able to restore her. She told us all about what happened to the Relics and the Successors, and she asked us to help find them before they all go out of control."

Cruz brings a hand to her heart before speaking again. “Then… if you found Aurora, did you also find _her?_ ”

You smile reassuringly. “Yeah, we found Karen, too. She seems to be okay, and it doesn’t look like she’s in any danger of frenzying. Though Louis wasn’t too happy when he found out abou—"

_“Louis is with you?!”_

You jump back as Cruz suddenly rushes over to you, grabbing onto your shoulders with a desperate look in her eyes. “He’s okay?! He’s alive?! How is he? What is he doing?!” she asks frantically.

You sputter in surprise for a moment, not sure how to respond. “Y-yes? I thought you were watching me, didn’t you se—"

“I can’t see what you’re doing!” Cruz protests in indignation. “If I did I wouldn’t be asking you questions! I can just sense when the Relics respond to something.”

She takes a breath to calm herself. “So, you’re travelling with Louis? Louis Amamiya?” she asks, fearfully, as if she’s starting to worry that the hope she’s given herself might be in vain.

In that moment, something clicks for you, and you finally understand the truth of what happened to Cruz. When her BOR Parasite frenzied, the girl that Louis knew was killed. From that moment on, the creature called The Queen had worn her corpse around like a shell, and used it to wreak havoc on humanity. When you stuck your claw through the chest of that corpse, and drained it of blood, Cruz was already long dead. She’s been trapped within this empty space between life and death ever since.

But now, looking into her eyes, you can see that something has changed. At the mention of Louis’s name, that girl that died so long ago, has come back to life.

You take a moment to compose yourself before answering her. “Y-yes. Louis is travelling with me, he became a revenant and is trying to help save other revenants from bloodthirst,” you explain. “When he learned the truth about the relics, he… didn’t take it well. But he’s ready to help now that he knows the truth.”

Cruz finally loosens her grip on your shoulders, and you can _feel_ the tension leaving her body, as she deflates to the point that she falls to her knees before you, letting out a tired noise that’s somewhere between laughter and sobbing.

“He...he’s alive, then. I didn’t… _I didn’t…”_

You offer her a hand. “No, you didn’t kill him, Cruz.”

Cruz looks to you, and shakily accepts your outstretched hand, taking it in both of hers as she gets to her feet. “Thank you, I…” She pauses, taking a moment to think of what to say. Eventually, she settles on: “How is he?”

You purse your lips in thought for a moment, trying to think of the best way to phrase this. “He’s… hanging in there. He’s been researching blood beads, looking for the Source so that he could pass them out to all revenants. Though… with what we’ve learned now, things have changed a bit.”

You talk to Cruz for a while after, filling in the details about Home Base, Louis’s other friends, and your mission. She listens eagerly, occasionally chiming in with a question, and you can see the light slowly returning to her eyes. You think that this must’ve been how Louis felt, bringing her stories of the outside world while Cruz was going through Project QUEEN.

“I… I think Louis still feels guilty for what happened to you. He blames himself for not being able to kill you when you asked him to.” You’re not sure if this is what Cruz needs to hear right now, but you decide that being truthful is your best option.

Her gaze turns downcast and she grips tightly the fabric of her hospital gown. “...Can… May I ask something of you?”

“Sure...” you respond, a bit unsure what she could want from you, but willing to help out.

“Can you deliver a message for me?” Cruz asks, trepidation clear in her voice.

You balk at first, unsure of how you'd go about delivering a message from a dead girl… but that desperate hope in her eyes tugs at your heartstrings, and you find yourself nodding slowly. "Sure thing," you say. "What kind of message?"

Cruz takes a deep breath to gather her composure before speaking resolutely. "Please... tell Louis that what happened wasn't his fault. Let him know that I don't blame him."

You feel yourself begin to disperse as your dream comes to an end, and you can see the fear in Cruz's eyes, the worry that her message may not be received, but you make sure to assuage her fears before you go.

"I'll tell him," you say. "I'll make sure he knows it wasn't his fault."

And you see the weight of her regrets be lifted from her shoulders before you vanish from that realm of sleep.

* * *

You have no idea how in the _hell_ you're going to deliver that message.

_Hey Louis, you know that girl who begged you to kill her but you couldn't go through with it so she went into a Frenzy and killed thousands? Yeah, she wants you to know there's no hard feelings._

You groan in frustration as you stare up at the starry night sky. You decided to come out to the hot springs to help clear your mind, though you don't intend on taking a dip. As you wave your hand around in the water, letting the warmth of the springs seep into your skin, you hear a voice and footsteps approaching.

“Oh, you came out here to think, too?”

Speak of the devil. You turn to see Louis approaching you, also seeming uninterested in bathing judging by his fully clothed state, and offer him a smile.

"Hey. Yeah, I just had a lot on my mind."

Louis nods. "I can imagine, with everything that's happened recently," he responds, sounding somewhat somber himself.

“How are you holding up?” you ask, knowing full well that the shock of finding his sister like that has yet to leave him.

Louis sucks in a breath, and remains quiet for a moment before answering. “I… I’m not quite sure yet. It’s still sinking in, I think.”

You nod. “Yeah… I think it’s the same for me. I’m still trying to process everything that’s happened, and…” You purse your lips, unsure if you should continue that line of thought.

Louis seems to notice that you’re holding something back however, and he elects to speak up. “Is something wrong?”

Well, time to rip off _that_ band-aid…

You take a deep breath and a moment to compose yourself before answering, though Louis makes no attempt to rush you, waiting patiently as he sits down next to you.

“Back there… in the Cathedral, I… I regained my memories. After we fought that giant armored Lost.”

Louis’s eyes widen at this. “You did?! That’s great!” he says, with a smile that fades shortly after, as he realizes that there’s a bit more to this. “...Isn’t it?”

“It… it turns out my memories were a bit more important than we might have guessed.”

He tilts his head. “What do you mean?”

“Do you remember that theory you had, about me being able to restore the Mistle because of a connection to the Queen?”  
  
Louis nods. “Right, and it turns out I was right, since you’re the Successor of the Blood, what about it?”  
  
“Well…” you say. “I’m… not exactly the same as the other Successors.”

Louis furrows his brow in confusion. “How so?”

“I wasn’t exactly… _chosen_ for the role, like the others were. At least, not in the traditional sense."

Louis doesn’t quite seem to understand what you’re talking about, but he _does_ understand that there’s more to this than what you’ve revealed so far, so he waits patiently for you to explain. “Go on…”

“I… I was a part of Operation Queenslayer, like we’d already guessed. But that’s not all… I was there for the final battle,” you reveal. “I fought alongside Jack—the Hunter— and Gregorio Silva, when the Queen was finally destroyed... or so we thought.”

Louis’s eyes widen at this, unprepared to learn that this stranger he’d formed a curious bond with had been someone so significant, his mouth hangs open in surprise. “Then.. then you saw the Queen die?”

“It’s… a bit more than that, Louis. I…” you pause for a moment. “I killed her. I killed the Queen by draining her blood.”

You bring your head up to meet his gaze for the first time. “I killed Cruz, Louis.”

Louis looks at you as if he’s just met you again for the first time, and you can see the gears turning in his head as he tries to process what you’ve told him. You let him think it through, you’re not really in any rush to hear his response.

"You…" Louis swallows the lump in his throat before finishing his sentence. "You stopped her. You did what I couldn't," he says, voice beginning to crack.

“Louis,” you say. “There’s something else you should know. When I killed her… she spoke to me. She asked me to ' _save everyone'_ , before she died.” You pause to let Louis process this.

It takes him a minute, and you're not sure if the emotion playing across his face is relief, or grief. Perhaps it's both.

You place a hand on his shoulder, in what you hope is a gesture of reassurance.

"Some part of her was still in there. She never stopped fighting, Cruz never gave up…" _She still hasn't._ "I'm sorry, I know this must be hard but… I thought you deserved to know that."

Louis shakes his head. "No, no, you're right. I'm— thank you. Thank you for telling me the truth."

You turn away for a moment, pursing your lips as you try to think of a way to deliver this message. Fortunately for you, Louis seems to be too caught up in his own thoughts to notice your hesitation.

"Louis, I don't think Cruz would want you to blame yourself for what happened."

Louis turns to you with a skeptical, self-deprecating little smile. "Yeah? What makes you say that?"

"Well…" _She spoke to me from beyond the grave and told me to tell you that._ "I never really got the chance to speak with her, but… from what I saw of her in your memories, and what I learned from my own memories back there, she seems like the type of person who wanted to help others, more than anything. She wouldn't have wanted you to hurt because of her, she'd want you to be proud of yourself for all the things you've done. For Kevin, for Yakumo, for Mia, for Rin, for Coco, for Davis, for Io, for that human girl, and even for me, you've helped a lot of people, Louis."

You pat him on the back as you stand to your feet and offer him a hand up. "And I'm sure she'd want you to keep moving forward."

Louis nods, his eyes shining with renewed determination, before accepting your hand and getting to his feet. "Yeah, you're right. Which is why I need to keep fighting, to make sure no one else has to suffer like they- like _we_ all have. For Cruz, for Karen, for Kevin, for the ones who lost their lives in Operation Queenslayer, and the ones who are still suffering now."

He turns to you with a smile, and places a hand on your shoulder. "And for you, too, I can't let you be the only one to carry this burden."

You feel your chest swell with pride, as you beam at your friend's words. "Now _that's_ the Louis I was looking for," you say, returning his gesture to form what's almost a hug between you and your best friend.

Louis lets out a small laugh, sounding like the burden on his shoulders has suddenly become much lighter. "Thanks. I think part of me still needed to hear that."

You take your hand off his shoulder and smile at him. "Glad I could help, buddy."

Louis returns the smile. "You know, you're really quite amazing."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"With everything that's happening, with what we've learned about the Successors, and the Hunter, everything seems to fall on your shoulders again, yet here you are, helping _me_ out, _again_ ," he shakes his head and laughs a bit under his breath. "I'm not sure how you manage it."

You smile at him as you start walking back to your room. "Well, it's only because I have such reliable helpers to pawn my work off on."

Louis laughs easily. "Well, I'll try my best not to disappoint, then."

"Hey, Louis?" you ask, a bit more hesitant.

"Yeah? What's up?"

You stop walking before you speak up again. "If you could… speak with Cruz, one more time. What do you think you'd say to her?" You scratch at the back of your head nervously, unsure of how he'll take this.

Louis's eyes widen in response, and he purses his lips. He stands silently in what you _hope_ is thoughtful contemplation for a minute, before he finally opens his mouth to answer.

"I'd tell her… I'd tell her that everything she went through wasn't in vain. That she didn't suffer for nothing."

You smile at him. "Yeah, I think she'd be glad to hear that."

* * *

The next time you dream, after restoring Nicola and hearing the truth about Jack from Eva, Cruz turns around eagerly and walks up to you expectantly, clasping her hands together and looking at you with eyes like a puppy hoping for a treat.

"Well? Did you talk to Louis? Did you tell him?"

You nod, smiling in reassurance. "Yeah, I told him. Well… I didn't exactly tell him it was from _you_ , I thought it might be hard to explain our, uh— situation to him, but he got the message."

Cruz sighs in relief, and then gives an understanding nod. "Right, right… that was probably smart, I didn't really think of how he might react to learning about… _all of this_ ," she says, gesturing vaguely at the space around you.

She cringes a bit as she turns back to you. "Sorry for making you act as my mailman, I'm really grateful to you for everything you've done."

You shake your head. "Don't worry about it, I'm happy to help, both you _and_ Louis. Oh! That reminds me, I actually have a message for _you_ from him."

Cruz's eyes twinkle with excitement. "You do? Really?"

"Yeah. I asked Louis what he would say to you if he could speak with you one last time, and he said," you clear your throat, and do a somewhat lacking impersonation of Louis's voice:

" _I'd tell her that everything she went through wasn't in vain. That she didn't suffer for nothing."_

Cruz's reaction is instantaneous, as she brings her hands to her chest and hangs her head. Even so, you can still see the bright smile that grows on her face, and the faint blush that paints her cheeks.

She raises her head to look at you. "Can I ask you for another favor?"

You have a pretty good idea of what she's about to ask, and you're not really looking forward to it.

"Can you deliver another message for me?"

_And there it is._

You feel like you're a kid in a classroom sitting between two friends who keep giving you notes to pass to each other. Still, it's not like you can just say _no_ to her, not when she looks so _hopeful_.

"Sure thing," you say, with a somewhat strained smile. "What do you want me to tell him?"

You can tell from the look on her face that Cruz feels sorry for putting you on the spot like this, but she still gives you her message. "Please tell Louis that I'm proud of him. That I'm grateful for everything he's done, not just for me, but for all the people he's helped. Will you make sure he knows that? Please?"

You let out an exasperated sigh, but nod your head in agreement. "I will, don't worry."

Cruz takes your hand in hers and bows her head gratefully. "Thank you. Thank you _so_ much. I can't tell you how much all this means to me…"

You smile, and place a hand on her shoulder. As she raises her head to look at you, you tell her: "Don't worry about it. That's what friends are for, right?"

Cruz lets out a small laugh in response. "I'm glad Louis has someone like you around. I was right to trust you back then."

You smile, and give her a playful bow. "Well, I'll be sure to live up to your expectations, then, Your Majesty."

* * *

This becomes a new routine for you from then on. You fight to save the Successors, you find a chance to speak with Louis and pass on Cruz's messages, then deliver his responses when you fall asleep. This process goes on for some time throughout your journey…

Until Mido sets his plan in motion.

As soon as you find yourself back on that platform in Cruz's domain, you can tell that something is wrong. Even from here, Cruz can sense the effects of what's happened, you can see it written on her face, as she turns to you with terror in her eyes.

"The Relic of the Brain," she says, in a frightened whisper. "Something's wrong. Please, what's happened…?"

"Mido, Juzo Mido… he's stolen the relics, and implanted them into Silva… he's still fighting for now, but he'll go into a Frenzy soon. I'm sorry…"

"Oh god… father…" Cruz mutters, trembling as fear and grief wrack her body. It's bad enough to hear what her father is going through right now, but you have _no_ idea what might happen to Cruz if the Queen is revived, and you get the feeling she doesn't know either.

"We're on our way to stop him now. It's possible we may be able to save him like with Eva, but…" you stare down at the ground.

"But if you can't, someone else will have to take his place…" Cruz finishes. " _You're_ going to take his place, aren't you?"

You nod your head, slowly. "Yes. I'm the best bet for taking on the relics, as Successor of the Blood… but once I do…"

"You'll have to go to sleep in order to contain that much power, just like my father," Cruz says, as she comes to understand the situation. "I'm so sorry, this is all my fault…"

"No, this isn't your fault. None of this was, just like it wasn't Louis's fault," you tell her. "You asked me to save the world… and that's what I'm going to do, no matter the price."

You let out a rueful laugh. "It's weird, I'm kind of scared, but in a way it feels… nice. Is this what you felt like when you volunteered for Project QUEEN?"

She gives you a sad smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, something like that…"

"There's just one problem, though…" you say, scratching your head somewhat awkwardly.

Cruz's brow furrows in concern. "What? What's wrong?"

You chuckle nervously. "Well, once that happens I won't really be able to deliver messages for you anymore."

Cruz blinks in surprise… and then bursts into laughter. "Really? _That's_ what you're worried about?" she asks in between fits of disbelieving giggles.

"Well," you say, "I've gotten kind of used to this by now, and I do feel bad about just leaving you alone here."

She shakes her head. "Don't. Everything you've done so far, not just for me, but for Louis, and the rest of the world… is more than anyone could ask of you."

"Thank you. But… since this might be the last chance we have to speak, are there any last messages you'd like me to deliver to Louis?"

Cruz smiles, but it's oddly melancholy, as she closes her eyes, seemingly at peace. "No, thank you. You've done enough, and I think I've said enough."

You purse your lips. You're not sure if this is stepping out of line, but even so, you feel like you have to say _something._

"Are you sure about that? I think there might be something else you want to say to him. Something _really important,"_ you stress.

You hear that strange, melancholy giggle again. "I'm happy for your concern, but it's fine, really." She turns around, her long white hair swaying behind her as she begins to walk over towards the railing overlooking this endless void that has become a sort of second home to the two of you.

"I think _that's_ something that should be said in person. And besides…" She smiles at you over her shoulder. "He knows. I'm sure of it."

You open your mouth to speak, to try and tell her that even if he knows, you're still fairly certain he'd like to hear it.

But it isn't really your place to say. You're just the messenger, passing notes in class, and as you feel your body start to disperse, you know that your role as an emissary is drawing to an end.

"Well, I think this is it. Goodbye, Cruz."

She turns around to smile at you, and gives a proper, regal curtsy to see you off, just like the first time you met in this strange, beautiful place.

As your vision fades to white, you hear her voice ringing out in your ears, just like when you first woke up in that abandoned cityscape.

" _Thank you, for everything. Goodbye, my friend, and good luck._ "

Another familiar sight awaits you when you wake up: your head rests on Io's lap, as she gently runs a hand through your hair, and she gives you a warm smile as your eyes flutter open.

"Welcome back." Of all your companions, she's the only one you've shared this little secret of yours with. You can't really hide anything from her, truth be told.

"Good morning," you tell her, not quite ready to raise your head just yet.

Her hand drifts down to yours, holding it gently. "It's time to go," she whispers.

You give her hand a reassuring squeeze, and raise your head to sit up, albeit reluctantly. "Yeah. Let's do this, Io."

* * *

Before you leave, you decide to have one last talk with Louis. You figure he deserves to know the truth, at least, since this may be the last chance you ever get to tell him.

As the two of you meet up outside of Home Base, waiting for the rest of your companions to finish their preparations, you decide to approach him.

"Louis, do you have a minute?"

"What's up?"

You suck in a breath. "Before we head out and… finish all of this, there's something I think you should know. I… may not get another chance to tell you."

Louis nods. He can tell from your tone that this is something serious, so he takes off his mask, sits down on an old unused bench, and then leans forward to listen. "Alright, go ahead," he says.

You sigh, and take a seat next to him as you remove your own mask. You bring your hands together as you try to think of a way to say this with _tact_. "It's… it's about Cruz."

His eyes go wide at this. You've been bringing her up in casual conversation from time to time, but he can tell that this is something different. "Did you… remember something else?" he asks, sounding somewhere between curious and worried.

You shake your head. "No, not exactly. The thing is… well, you know how I've been asking you about her a lot? Talking about what I think she'd want to say to you, or what you'd tell her if you had the chance?"

Louis nods, not seeming quite sure where you're going with this. "Yes…"

"I wasn't speaking hypothetically."

Louis's brow furrows in confusion, and you see his eyes narrow as he tries to piece together your meaning. "I don't… What do you mean?"

You look at him, trying to make it clear that this isn't some kind of sick joke. "Louis, these past few days, I've been speaking with Cruz. I've been delivering messages from her to you, and from you to her."

Louis reels at this, covering his mouth with both hands as he struggles to process this. You can see in his eyes how his mind is moving a mile a minute, remembering every conversation you've had these past few days, and trying to analyze them with this newfound context. In any other circumstance, this would seem completely unbelievable, but with everything you and your friends have seen so far, you suppose it's not that far from the realm of possibility.

It takes him a while, but eventually, he speaks up again. "How is this possible? Is it some kind of Successor power?"

"I think so…" you say, though it's hard to give a straight answer when you're so unsure about the details yourself.

"From what I can tell it seems to be unique to me, probably because of my Relic of the Blood. All I know is that whenever I go to sleep, I don't dream, instead I wake up in some strange…" You wave your hands around as you struggle to come up with a word for it. "... _Dimension_. It feels kind of like being inside of a Memory Echo, and somehow, Cruz is also there."

"Then she's… alive?" Louis asks. It's clear to you from the way he says it that he's afraid to have hope, and it kills you inside that you have to be the one to crush that hope.

"No. She called it… _'a place between life and death'_ I think that when the Queen died, the part of Cruz that was still in there, still fighting… was sent into that place. I suppose that in a way, she's immortal too, like the Queen…"

It's a terrible existence, truth be told, and if you didn't have far more pressing matters to deal with, you'd be looking for some way to help her. As it is, you can only hope that Louis will figure something out after you've taken over Gregorio's role.

Louis nods his head slowly in understanding. You can see his hands tremble as he comes to grips with these revelations. "I… see," he says, his voice cracking with pain.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier," you tell him, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He shakes his head. "No you… you were right not to. I understand how something like this must be hard to talk about, but…"

He hangs his head, and takes a few shaky breaths to compose himself. "So, you spoke with her then?"

You nod. "Yes. Since the first night I came here, and right before I woke up with Io for the first time. At first I had no idea who she was, but after the Cathedral…"

You see the cogs turning in Louis's head as he comes to his own conclusions, matching up the timeline of events with his own memories, recontextualizing the conversations you'd had about her. "Then… those things you told me… they were from her? And you told her what I said?"

"Yes," you confirm. "For the most part, at least. I'm sorry if I intruded, but well… she's kind of hard to say no to, if I'm being honest."

Louis lets out a dry laugh at this. "Yeah, no kidding…" With a sigh, he looks up at you and offers you a smile of gratitude. "Thank you for this. I never imagined I'd get the chance to speak with her again, even by proxy, I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"It's the least I could do, after everything that's happened. Not just for you, but for Cruz, too."

Louis smiles at you, but you see it fade as he stares at the ground thoughtfully. After a few moments, he speaks up again. "Then… the last time you went to sleep, what did she say?" he asks, sounding almost shy. For a moment, you forget that you're acting as a go-between for your best friend and a dead girl, and not just helping a friend talk to his crush.

"I told her about what Mido did, and how I might not be able to speak with her when all is said and done. She's worried about her father but… I think she's prepared for what's to come."

Louis nods his head in understanding, and then purses his lips, before speaking again. "And she didn't… have a message for me?" he asks, sounding almost disappointed.

"She told me…"

You want to tell him. You _really_ want to tell him. He deserves to know, he deserves to hear it after everything he's been through, and between Yakumo and Emily; and Jack and Eva, you've just about had it with people not saying how they really feel. But… like it or not, Cruz deserves her privacy, after everything _she's_ been through, and she's right that this is something that needs to be said in person. Louis deserves to hear it, but he deserves to hear it from _her._

"...That she's already said everything that needs to be said, and that you'd know the rest. That's all."

That seems to be good enough for Louis, as he smiles at you, gets to his feet, and begins to walk back towards the base. "Thank you. I don't know what else I can say, so just… thanks."

You smile at him, still not getting up as he begins to walk away. "Louis…" you call out. "If… if I'm able to speak to Cruz again, before this is all over… then I might still be able to deliver one last message for you. Is there anything you want to say to her? Anything _really_ important?"

He chuckles, shaking his head as he turns around to stare at the rising sun as it illuminates the ruined cityscape. "I appreciate it, but no thanks. Cruz is right, we've said everything that needs to be said by now."

"Yes, but this might be the last chance you _ever_ get to communicate with her. Isn't there _something_ you should tell her?"

He smirks as he turns his head to look at you over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm not as dense as Yakumo. It's just… that's something that should be said in person, and besides… she knows. I'm sure of it."

You hang your head and let out a sigh of defeat. But soon, a smile forms on your face, and you begin to laugh under your breath.

"Yeah," you say, looking up at Louis. "You're right. I'm sure she does." You get up from the bench and walk over to join Louis. A short distance away, you can see the rest of your companions stepping outside to join you, ready for the final battle.

"I'll see her again, someday," Louis says as he puts his mask back on. He speaks so quietly that you're not quite sure if you were supposed to hear him. "And then… I'll tell her myself," he swears.

Somehow, you don't doubt that he will.

* * *

Fate, it seems, is not without its sense of irony. You'd been so ready to sacrifice yourself, resigned to your fate as Silva's replacement for all eternity. You hadn't even considered the possibility that you might walk away from that fight, or what you might lose in exchange for your freedom.

Now, once again, you sit at the edge of the hot springs, staring up at the night sky, just like the day when you first spoke to Louis about Cruz. You're not here to think now, however, you're here to mourn.

Io made her choice. You'd always pushed her to make her own decisions, to choose her own fate, uninfluenced by her role as an Attendant, even if it hurt you.

You hadn't expected her choice to hurt _so much._

All of Vein, along with the humans and revenants inside of it, has been saved, just like Cruz asked of you when you drove your Blood Veil through her chest. Blood Beads are now plentiful, and seemingly without end. The Red Mist is still standing strong, and shows no signs of weakening, nor does it require a blood toll to maintain. Gregorio Silva was recovered, alive and well, and is now leading the Provisional Government in rebuilding the broken world you call home, finally making a serious effort to clear away the Lost and rebuild society instead of scouring for Blood Beads. On top of that, the Successors have all been freed from their duties, and without the burdens of their relics, have all regained their normal human forms. Not only have your companions been reunited with their loved ones, but with Karen Amamiya and Aurora Valentino back in working condition as researchers, serious progress is being made in the advancement of revenant research and quality of life improvements for those who live within the Gaol of the Mists. What's more, with Mido dead, once and for all, there is no more fear of their research being co-opted for unsavory means. In many ways, this is the perfect happy ending that most could only dream of.

And all it cost was Io's life.

You're still not sure it was worth it.

Of course, as a former Successor yourself, you've lost the Relic of the Blood, and the benefits it provided you. You can no longer access that strange, dream-like world that you spent so much time in. You were already prepared to lose contact with Cruz after saying goodbye, but losing another friend like that just adds insult to injury.

You can only hope that Cruz has finally found peace, now that this is all over. Or if not, you hope that she at least has Io to keep her company now.

Once again, the sound of footsteps approaching pulls you from your thoughts, as Louis takes a seat next to you, offering you a sympathetic smile.

"How are you holding up?" he asks, a reversal of your positions from the last time you spoke here.

"I'm not quite sure yet," you say, a small smile forming on your face. "I think it's still sinking in."

Louis lets out a small chuckle. The tables have turned, it seems. "Yeah, I know that feeling."

"How's Karen?"

"Good. She's been working hard, I worry a bit sometimes, but she's always been like that, I suppose. She says she's spent enough time resting and wants to make up for it now. It's… good to have her back," he tells you, smiling fondly as he speaks of his older sister.

A part of you feels jealous of your companions. So many of them regained what they had lost, loved ones and family that they had grieved for and mourned, only for Io's sacrifice to miraculously bring them back. You know that it's a horrible, disgusting feeling, and you push it down as best you can, but sometimes it rears its ugly head, when you see your companions laughing and smiling with their families while you stare longingly at the now-empty bed in the middle of Home Base.

You were prepared to give your life when you set foot in that blood-soaked throne room, instead you walked away, alive, with nothing but a necklace and an Amber Blood Bead as your prize. The necklace never leaves your person now, your hand constantly drifts towards the small piece of amber, paranoid that it could disappear on you at any moment (like she did). The Blood Bead is no larger than any other, despite its strange powers, but holding it feels like the weight of the world in the palm of your hands, and you know that weight has nothing to do with the power it holds. You treasure these reminders of your fallen companion. Your consolation prize, for all that you've lost.

Still, if anyone can understand what you're going through right now, you suppose it would be Louis. You look at the small trinket hanging from his neck, and a question occurs to you.

"That ring…" you ask, giving him a curious look. "Was it meant for her?"

Louis seems surprised by your question, but when he notices your hand clasped around your necklace, he seems to understand the parallels, and a warm, nostalgic smile appears on his face, as he begins to reminisce.

"It originally belonged to my parents, but they both died when I was younger. It passed on to Karen later but, well, she never really found much use for it," he recounts. "She kept it in a box on her desk, and she always took good care of it. I didn't mind it, of course, she was the oldest and it was a memory of mom and dad. But when Project QUEEN started up…"

He lets out a self-deprecating chuckle, and gives you a strange, almost embarrassed look, one that seems odd and out of place on your normally calm friend. "Promise you won't laugh?"

You nod. "Of course."

He takes a deep breath, and then exhales before continuing. "Well, when the Project first started, things didn't look too good. Cruz's compatibility was exceptional, but she… had a rough adjustment period. She was stuck in that hospital 24/7, she went through constant pain, and even though she put on a brave face, I could tell she was struggling…"

A small smile forms on his face as he continues. "I thought that maybe giving her something to look forward to, a promise that the experiments would end eventually, and that she'd have something better waiting for her when they did, might help her make it through them. I thought about asking Karen for the ring, but I could never really work up the guts to talk to her about it. I guess she must have caught me staring at it one too many times, because one day she pulled me aside and gave me a speech about how 'important life decisions’ should be made with careful consideration instead of impulsively based only on emotion."

The image of Louis being scolded by his older sister does bring a small smile to your face, if only for the absurdity of it. He seems to catch this, and lets out a good-natured chuckle. "Hey, I thought you said you wouldn't laugh."

Your smile widens a bit, chuckling along with him. "Sorry, sorry, go on."

"Well, obviously I never gave it to her, or… talked to her about that sort of thing. But when I woke up as a revenant, I was wearing the ring around my neck. I can only assume it was a gift from Karen, while I was still asleep during the revival process."

He brings his hand up to his neck, and clasps the ring, much like how your hand is still wrapped around your own necklace.

"It's funny," he says. "I've gotten so used to wearing it that I forgot it was hers. I suppose I should talk to her about it, at some point."

Your smile fades as you sink back into your thoughts. After a minute or so, you speak up again.

"Does it ever stop hurting so much?"

It takes Louis a couple moments to respond, as he mulls over his answer. "If you'd asked me back when we first met, I think I might've said no, but now…" He smiles at you. "With enough time, it does. And it's certainly easier when you have a good set of friends to help you along."

You let out a small laugh at this. "Well then, I suppose I'll be fine in that case."

As you and your best friend both sit side-by-side in front of the hot springs, staring up at the night sky and mourning for your loved ones, you take solace in the fact that you've found a kindred spirit, at least.

"I suppose we're _both_ widowers, now."

That earns a short, dry, sardonic laugh out of Louis. "We've both lost something irreplaceable. But the very fact that we're still alive when they aren't… just means that we have to keep on fighting. We can't let everything they fought for, everything they sacrificed for, be in vain. And someday, maybe… we'll see them again. When we do, we'll tell them that we made their wishes come true."

He gets to his feet, and offers you a hand up, along with a soft smile. "And we'll do it together. That's what friends are for, right?"

You take his hand, and return his smile. The conviction in his words is strong enough that even you start to believe them. "Yeah, friends. You're right."

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so I technically cheated on the "gender neutral protagonist" thing I had going by using the word "widower" near the end, but sue me. Louis and Blood Bearer are "My Wife is Fucking Dead" solidarity and I want more people in this fandom to acknowledge that.


End file.
